Lyndsay's story

Thirty-five-year-old Lyndsay, from Selby in North Yorkshire, had no idea that adults could get meningitis, until she contracted the disease herself. Fortunately she has made a good recovery. She tells her story here

“Sunday 21st June (Father’s Day) 2015 started out like any other normal day.”

"My family and I went out visiting other family members as it was Father's Day. By lunchtime I started to get a headache, which quickly doubled up with severe earache."

“I'd had mild earache earlier in the week but it cleared up after a few hours, and I thought no more about it."

“As the day went on the pain intensified, and painkillers were not helping. I don't remember a lot of the evening. My husband got me and the kids back home and I went to bed.”

Began hallucinating

“By 1am I was in agony, felt incredibly nauseous and began hallucinating. A few minutes later I had a seizure.”

“My husband called an ambulance and I was rushed to hospital. After various tests (CT scan, MRI scan and lumbar puncture) it was revealed I had a brain abscess and bacterial meningitis."

“Literally within hours I went from feeling fine, to being deathly poorly. It took 13 weeks of IV antibiotics before I was given the all clear.”

“I had no idea that people my age suffered with meningitis, and more needs to be done to raise awareness.”

“Meningitis Now kindly donated a cheque to me to cover the travel costs back and fourth to hospital. They were a huge help financially, and also mentally as their kind staff members have offered their help by keeping in touch by phone and emails.”